Corporate chaplains listen when employees need to talk

Published: Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 1:36 a.m.

George Nelson is in the human resources business. In fact, he is a human resource – for 10 Wilmington-area companies at once, helping employees who face all kinds of situations from family woes to layoffs.

Nelson is a chaplain – a corporate chaplain, to be precise – and an employee of Raleigh-based Corporate Chaplains of America, an 18-year-old company that offers its services often as an employee fringe benefit.

After working in sales in the funeral industry, Nelson, “a licensed minister of the Gospel,” got into chaplaincy out of “a desire to serve the Lord in a vocational-type ministry.”

But his services are interdenominational, and often nonsectarian.

“People come to work every day and bring their challenges and don’t have anybody to talk with,” said Jeff Hilles, Nelson’s boss and head of Corporate Chaplains. “We act as a resource and a sounding board.

“We do hospital visitations, divorce, spousal abuse, premarital counseling, jail visits, courtroom testimony, death and dying stress conflicts. If the company has any layoffs, they will bring us in for that.”

Although coming from a Christian background, Hilles said that isn’t pushed.

“We provide chaplaincy care regardless of their world view, and that’s the way we approach our caregiving,” he said.

A service of listening

“If a person reaches a point where they need a counselor, such as drugs, we will refer them to a licensed counselor,” he said.

Hilles explained that chaplains “listen to people. Sometimes people just want to talk about their problems” – for instance if their dog dies.

Nelson said he typically works with workers on an individual basis.

“Our approach is to build relationships with each employee,” he said. “It can begin that way then maybe develop into a family relationship.”

Nelson said he has worked with one situation “of an employee who has two teenage sons, one of which is making a decision that could be detrimental to his health and well-being – making bad choices.”

700 locations

Corporate Chaplains serves about 75,000 employees in the United States and four other countries at 700 locations, Hilles said.

“A huge portion of where we get our resources is a fee-for-service model,” he explained. The fees are paid by the employer and are variable, depending on the number of employees and work shifts.

All the company’s managers and chaplains work out of their houses, so there’s only one office, at the headquarters in Raleigh.

Some larger companies have full-time chaplains so, in places like Atlanta, Corporate Chaplains may have five employees, Hilles said. In rural areas, one chaplain might serve a wide area.

Neither Hilles nor Nelson would identify their client companies in the Wilmington area, citing agreements with the employers. But Nelson said they all are service-oriented and include transportation, building-supply and food-service firms.

Hilles said among the clients are fast-food businesses, processing plants and some manufacturing and distribution companies. The list also includes an auto dealership, he said.

Explaining it

Employers often learn about Corporate Chaplains through word of mouth, Hilles said.

“It’s always a start from scratch,” he said. Most had never heard of corporate chaplaincy.

The closest comparison is hospital or military chaplaincy. “Workplace chaplaincy we have to explain,” Hilles said.

Corporate Chaplains often function in an environment of tragedy. “Sometimes we’ll have an employer who has a crisis in the company,” such as the death of an employee.

The chaplains maintain strict confidentiality for employees and the employers are told that upfront, Hilles said. They don’t want to be perceived like HR or the employer’s eyes and ears, he added.

“In order to be able to have that relationship, the employees have to trust that we won’t be running to the owners.”

The problems are often deeply private. Nelson said he began helping an employee who was considering divorce.

“I pointed him in the direction of a counselor and their marriage was saved,” he said. “And, to the best of my knowledge, they are still together.”

<p>George Nelson is in the human resources business. In fact, he is a human resource – for 10 Wilmington-area companies at once, helping employees who face all kinds of situations from family woes to layoffs.</p><p>Nelson is a chaplain – a corporate chaplain, to be precise – and an employee of Raleigh-based Corporate Chaplains of America, an 18-year-old company that offers its services often as an employee fringe benefit.</p><p>After working in sales in the funeral industry, Nelson, “a licensed minister of the Gospel,” got into chaplaincy out of “a desire to serve the Lord in a vocational-type ministry.”</p><p>But his services are interdenominational, and often nonsectarian. </p><p>“People come to work every day and bring their challenges and don't have anybody to talk with,” said Jeff Hilles, Nelson's boss and head of Corporate Chaplains. “We act as a resource and a sounding board.</p><p>“We do hospital visitations, divorce, spousal abuse, premarital counseling, jail visits, courtroom testimony, death and dying stress conflicts. If the company has any layoffs, they will bring us in for that.”</p><p>Although coming from a Christian background, Hilles said that isn't pushed.</p><p>“We provide chaplaincy care regardless of their world view, and that's the way we approach our caregiving,” he said.</p><h3>A service of listening</h3>
<p>For legal reasons, Corporate Chaplains doesn't provide counseling, Hilles said.</p><p>“If a person reaches a point where they need a counselor, such as drugs, we will refer them to a licensed counselor,” he said.</p><p>Hilles explained that chaplains “listen to people. Sometimes people just want to talk about their problems” – for instance if their dog dies.</p><p>Nelson said he typically works with workers on an individual basis.</p><p>“Our approach is to build relationships with each employee,” he said. “It can begin that way then maybe develop into a family relationship.”</p><p>Nelson said he has worked with one situation “of an employee who has two teenage sons, one of which is making a decision that could be detrimental to his health and well-being – making bad choices.”</p><h3>700 locations</h3>
<p>Corporate Chaplains serves about 75,000 employees in the United States and four other countries at 700 locations, Hilles said.</p><p>“A huge portion of where we get our resources is a fee-for-service model,” he explained. The fees are paid by the employer and are variable, depending on the number of employees and work shifts.</p><p>All the company's managers and chaplains work out of their houses, so there's only one office, at the headquarters in Raleigh.</p><p>Some larger companies have full-time chaplains so, in places like Atlanta, Corporate Chaplains may have five employees, Hilles said. In rural areas, one chaplain might serve a wide area.</p><p>Neither Hilles nor Nelson would identify their client companies in the Wilmington area, citing agreements with the employers. But Nelson said they all are service-oriented and include transportation, building-supply and food-service firms.</p><p>Hilles said among the clients are fast-food businesses, processing plants and some manufacturing and distribution companies. The list also includes an auto dealership, he said.</p><h3>Explaining it</h3>
<p>Employers often learn about Corporate Chaplains through word of mouth, Hilles said. </p><p>“It's always a start from scratch,” he said. Most had never heard of corporate chaplaincy.</p><p>The closest comparison is hospital or military chaplaincy. “Workplace chaplaincy we have to explain,” Hilles said.</p><p>Corporate Chaplains often function in an environment of tragedy. “Sometimes we'll have an employer who has a crisis in the company,” such as the death of an employee.</p><p>The chaplains maintain strict confidentiality for employees and the employers are told that upfront, Hilles said. They don't want to be perceived like HR or the employer's eyes and ears, he added.</p><p>“In order to be able to have that relationship, the employees have to trust that we won't be running to the owners.”</p><p>The problems are often deeply private. Nelson said he began helping an employee who was considering divorce.</p><p>“I pointed him in the direction of a counselor and their marriage was saved,” he said. “And, to the best of my knowledge, they are still together.”</p><p><i></p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic99"><b>Wayne Faulkner</b></a>: 343-2329</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @bizniznews</i></p>